


Tea Time

by N_A_N_O



Category: Granblue Fantasy (Video Game)
Genre: Cute, Drabble, Gen, Pâtissier Belial, Tea time with Lucilius, Tea vs coffee
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-25
Updated: 2020-07-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:20:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25507351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/N_A_N_O/pseuds/N_A_N_O
Summary: When Lucifer isn't around, Sandalphon has some unexpected company.
Relationships: Lucilius & Sandalphon (Granblue Fantasy)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 26





	Tea Time

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I ship FaaSan, and I couldn't find enough wholesome and general content. I know this normal dynamic isn't the "major" charm of the combo, but I wanted something simple and sweet. 
> 
> I opened my exclusively art/fic Twitter recently. I don't post Gen fics often, but if you're interested, please follow @NanosFics

Many people held false beliefs about what was happening in the Astral's Research Facility. It was easy to imagine, given the few abominations sent out of the laboratory, that inhumane and unethical experiments were happening within the confines of the mysterious building. Sandalphon knew otherwise.

While Astrals didn't hold their weapons, the Primal Beasts, in high regard, their advanced society had ethics and laws protecting the living creatures used in their experiments. Most often, their technology even allowed to avoid testing on animals. Sandalphon sometimes envied the bunnies and rats he'd observe in their cages; at least they had a purpose and didn't know his extreme boredom.

His world was limited to the confines of the Astral Laboratory's garden. He'd learned to live with only the birds as a company and the occasional lost visitor. Day after day spent alone, not a spark of excitement to distract him. Sometimes, he even wished the rumors on the illegal labs were real, so he could have a purpose or use of some sort.

Lucifer's visits were the exception. An hour or less for a coffee break, tales from the world outside much larger than Sandalphon could even fathom. Oceans, cities, even roads were enough to help him dream his boredom away. So, every day, even though he knew it was unlikely Lucifer could visit him, he set the table, ground beans, and waited. Nobody could have imagined the joy he felt when his beloved creator appeared.

Astrals never talked to Primal Beasts, even less, like Beelzebub put it once as he passed by, a purposeless drone hovering in rounds inside a cage. He knew close to nothing about them, outside of the maintenances and checkups he received, like an aging machine left to rust in an abandoned shed.

He'd seen the shorter man who looked like Lucifer on those occasions. His eyes flicked between Sandalphon and his papers, his plume quickly scratching down notes, questions cold routine while they sat in his office. The other Astrals always kept a distance with him, and Sandalphon overheard numerous rumors they'd whisper believing to be alone as they passed through the garden.

That man used humans in his experiments, sometimes even Astrals. He didn't acknowledge their superiority and often mocked his colleagues. He was brief, abrasive, antisocial, and too close to his creations. He made them too human, too emotional, his creations bound to cause trouble at a moment or another. They were deeply flawed, and so were his theories.

Maybe it was because Sandalphon was flawed that pushed him on that routine day to ask this question to Lucilius; "Would you like to try some of my coffee?"

Lucilius stopped writing, his face expressionless as he lifted his piercing blue eyes from his paper. Even as blank as his gaze was, Sandalphon could read a calculation behind it. He must have wondered if that was a glitch.

After some hesitation, registering Sandalphon's invitation was real, he replied, "Do you believe I have time to waste with such frivolities?"

Sandalphon felt a slight shudder, unused to any kind of conflict. It was entertaining, so he insisted. "If you do have any time to waste, please consider. Lucifer taught me how to do it."

Lucilius blinked slowly and cat-like. Sandalphon picked up some mockery in his tone. "Did he, now? Should I investigate on that dysfunctional behavior?"

"Investigate me if you wish," Sandalphon said, the risk he was taking sending shivers down his spine. "If any of us two is faulty, I am."

"Are you offering to become my research subject, you cheeky brat?" Lucilius scoffed, but Sandalphon wouldn't back down, his boredom worse than the perspective of being skinned alive, or the researcher's wrath.

"I am offering you to drink a coffee with me," he replied, standing his ground.

Again, the crushing silence. Lucilius set his notes on the desk beside him, put the back of his hand to his chin. It felt like an eternity of judgment, an arm-wrestle between two individuals the same as stubborn. Were Sandalphon even a tiny bit cheekier, he knew Lucilius was going to reduce him, even against Lucifer's will.

Sandalphon didn't receive an answer that day.

***

It had started snowing. Sandalphon loved watching the grass turn white, and the layers stack upon the garden. There was something magic about watching his breath crystalize, the chirps of the birds fade as they huddled up in their freezing nests, all sounds muted by ice. He didn't mind the numbness gathering at his fingers, the steam of the hot coffee disappearing, and the sun slowly setting. A Spartiate room was waiting for him, and he could keep waiting, holding on to a rumor Lucifer would come soon.

The sun had set, their chances to meet gone with the daylight.

"You are deeply dysfunctional," a husky voice scoffed in his back.

Sandalphon only noticed his muscles were sore and asleep when he craned his neck to turn around. He couldn't feel his feet or his hands anymore, and his teeth were chattering. Maybe he was dysfunctional indeed.

"W-why are you here?" Sandalphon asked as he saw Lucilius standing in his winter robes, mist shaping in front of his face.

"I had a meeting scheduled with Lucifer, but he had an emergency. You said I should pass when I had time to waste. Has the ice gotten to your birdbrain?"

Sandalphon's heart skipped a beat, and some heat came back to his legs. To flee or to stand up, he didn't know for sure. An Astral meeting a Primal Beast for coffee was unheard of, and Lucilius sounded sincere.

"I-I am slightly frozen," he replied, and to his shock, Lucilius took a layer of his robes off and put it over his shoulders.

His eyes must have asked "Why?" because Lucilius turned around with an annoyed grunt, and headed towards the laboratory, without inviting Sandalphon to follow him, but his direction to the kitchen deliberate. Sandalphon stood up, stumbled, fell, and leaped right up to catch up with the Astral.

"T-the coffee must be cold by now! Wait, I need to prepare some extra beans!"

"Bullshit. Do you think I'll lower myself to coffee? This is my break. I decide whatever the damn I will drink!" Lucilius snapped, rinsing the kettle and throwing out the coffee as if it were dirt. He filled it with water and put it onto the stove.

"What are you doing?" Sandalphon asked, freezing at the Astral's glare.

"Tea. Haven't you beast ever heard about tea?" Lucilius asked, taking a small box out of his robe. Opening it, there were leaves and a metal tool that seemed to be meant to contain them.

Lucilius had carried his precious tea leaves all the way to the garden. He made a cup for himself and was about to leave the kitchen and head back to his office.

"What about mine?" Sandalphon dared to ask.

"What about yours? This is my break and my tea, I do whatever I like. Do you think I'd make tea for a beast?" Lucilius scoffed.

"Didn't you come to have a drink with me?"

"There's no cake," Lucilius replied, his brow furrowed.

"What's the link?!" The Astral was slowly upsetting him.

"There's no tea time without cake, you ignoramus!" Lucilius shouted.

"I don't get cake here, Lucilius! I don't know how to make a cake!"

The Astral's eyes widened, shock appearing for the first time on his face. "Lucifer tells you how to brew that disgusting beverage, and doesn't even tell you how to make a cake to counter the bitterness?"

"Then tell me how to do one, and I'll make you some to accompany your tea!" Sandalphon tried, exasperated.

Lucilius closed his eyes and put his hand to his chin, nodding to himself. "I shall tell Belial to teach you."

Sandalphon wasn't looking forward to it.

Their first tea time was canceled for lack of cake.

***

With Belial and only Belial, Sandalphon regretted the solitude and calm of the garden. Impossible to not sexualize the cream, the butter, the milk, the eggs, even the goddamn flower! Kneading felt kinky, stirring felt like things he didn't want to think or voice. He'd never felt so hot in the face, and that experience decided him to never become a pâtissier.

Belial even managed to ruin the pleasure of tasting his creation. Mocha eclairs, nice and thick and long, and creamy, and oh my god, he hated the way he'd started thinking. He hated the eclairs, he hated Belial, he hated his life and the thought of white chocolate cream on top of Lucifer.

All that trouble to get insulted by Lucilius again. "You had to put that disgusting coffee all the way into your confections," Lucilius said, refusing to take more than one bite of the éclair.

"It's mixed with chocolate!" Sandalphon tried, sipping the green tea. God, he hated green tea. It was even more bitter than coffee!

"I know what's inside you troglodyte, I still hate it," Lucilius said.

Sandalphon glared at the Astral, sipping the tea. "And I hate drinking grass powder," he shot back.

"Naturally, a beast wouldn't comprehend the sophistication and superiority of matcha. You weren't meant to enjoy such frivolous hobbies in the first place."

"Then why is Belial so expert in choux dough? Isn't that a frivolous pass-time?"

"Cooking is science, and if you can't make a macaron, you can't make an angel," Lucilius retorted.

That didn't make any damn sense! "Then am I a macaron in your eyes?" he asked, and the tea went down the wrong way Lucilius' throat.

"Neither are you a snack nor are you so sophisticated!"

Oh, Lucilius and the sophistication of confectionary… The snobbism, the disdain, the preciousness! Still, Sandalphon liked his eclairs and hoped Lucifer could taste one before the small stock he'd made became inedible.

The matcha wasn't as bad with a lot of sugar, and Sandalphon could somewhat understand Lucilius' point.

***

Sandalphon came to realize, that while Lucilius hated people and was much better off alone between his books, they were both often waiting for Lucifer. The loneliness wasn't comparable, but when Sandalphon couldn't see Lucifer, Lucilius most probably couldn't see him either. Lucifer chose Sandalphon over Lucilius whenever he could, and Lucilius chose Sandalphon over Belial more than he should have.

It turned out their tea times were meant to avoid the Astral alone time with the Primal Beast in his office. Sandalphon couldn't blame Lucilius, but Belial found the parade; third wheel their tea-times.

"Sandy, didn't you prefer coffee? I understand you'd submit to Faa-san's will, but I'm still surprised you'd go all the way—"

"I prefer coffee," Sandalphon replied, a bit snappy but still drinking the chamomile tea. It tasted like medicine and the flu.

They were eating cream Belial made, and Sandalphon suspected it of containing an evil of some kind. The black chocolate cream with pistachio's cookie bottom had a slightly salty aftertaste, pleasant in combination, but still suspicious. Belial wouldn't have dared to test Lucilius' taste-buds, but again, everything felt dangerous around him.

In the serpent's presence, he only appreciated the Astral's single company more. He was terse, mean, and sociopathic, but his company wasn't unpleasant, and they'd found a subject of conversation; the process of tea production and tasting.

Tea wasn't much different from coffee. Leaves like beans were sorted by quality and picking method, and just like drip coffee, Darjeeling and green tea's second flush was considered the best. Coffee, tea, chocolate, they shared similarities and were reunited around the small garden.

For a short, golden period, Sandalphon wasn't as lonely anymore.


End file.
